Wrestling sisters mop the floor with opponents

Pinning down a good record for Samo wrestling in CIFS last year were the Prasad sisters, Riha (’19) and Rayna (’21). These sisters have a great talent and dedication for wrestling and we are proud that they are both representing Samo in our wrestling program. They are two of the small handful of girls that participate in the program. Throughout last season they have brought back big titles for Samo. While they may both enjoy wrestling, its for different reasons.Riha started wrestling her freshman year at Samo. She decided on wrestling because she saw it as the most rigorous sport on campus and was up for the challenge. Her parents were very supportive in her decision of wrestling, even though they were worried that she might be injured, but they are still as supportive as they were then now. Riha has come a long way since her freshman year, proud to be the girls’ wrestling team captain. Some highlights that Riha has achieved is being a three time state qualifier and being a state placer.“Throughout wrestling I have learned to conquer challenges whether its mentally or physical and find the right mindset for certain situations. I’m proud to look back at the long way I have come from my start and see all my accomplishment that I didn’t think I could do before wrestling,” Riha states.Similarly to Riha her younger sister Rayna started wrestling her freshman year with the same determination in mind. She was introduced to the sport by Riha and followed in her footsteps. Being a freshman Rayna has accomplished some great titles like becoming a state qualifier and placing fifth at the CIFS Girls Southern Sections Finals. Having different experiences the two sisters prepare for a matches similarly. They both warm up with a mini workout and build a sweat while they go through their game plan in their head. They try to focus on their opponents strengths and weaknesses and separate themselves from all the noise and distractions the six minutes before their match.For the match itself they do have different styles. Rayna is more of a freestyle wrestler being unorthodox and scrambling. She’s more carefree and goes with the plan of making her moves as she goes. Riha on the other hand is more defensive and patient. She waits to see her opponent’s mistake before making her own move. The more defensive they are the more offensive she will be and vice versa if its the other way around. Though they participate in the same sport they never compete against each other because they are in separate weight classes. The future for the sister is still unknown. Riha is still undecided to what her future looks like with wrestling. She is unsure of going pro or keeping it recreational.